A Few Good Men

Forward, march.

I'm requesting...

Captain, I'd like to request that it be me who's the attorney...

That it be myself who's assigned...

No, I'd like to request that it be I who am assigned...

"That it be I who am assigned"? That's good. That's confidence-inspiring.

Good grammar, there. Captain, I'd like to request...

Lieutenant Commander Galloway, hereto see Captain West.

- Go right in, they're expecting you. - Thank you.

- Jo, come on in. - Thank you, sir.

Captain West, this is Lt. Commander Galloway.

- You know Commander Lawrence? - Yes, sir.

- Captain, I appreciate you seeing me. - Would you like to sit down?

- I'm fine, sir. - Have a seat.

Okay.

- We've had some trouble down in Cuba? - Yes, sir. This past Friday.

Two Marines, a Lance Corporal Dawson and a Private Louden Downey...

...entered the barracks room of a PFC William Santiago and assaulted him.

Santiago died at the base hospital approximately an hour later.

The NIS agent who took Dawson and Downey's statements...

...maintains they were trying to stop Santiago...

...from naming Dawson in a fence-line shooting incident.

- The hearing's in Cuba at 1600. - What's the problem?

Dawson and Downey are recruiting-poster Marines.

And Santiago was known to be a screwup.

I was thinking it sounded an awful lot like a Code Red.

Christ.

Sir, I'd like to have them moved up to Washington and assigned counsel.

Someone who can really look into this.

Someone who possesses not only the legal skill...

...but a familiarity with the inner workings of the military.

In short, I'd like to suggest that I be the one who that...

That it be me who is assigned to represent them, myself.

- Why don't you get a cup of coffee? - Thank you, sir, I'm fine.

Leave the room, so we can talk about you behind your back.

Certainly, sir.

I thought this Code Red shit wasn't going on anymore.

With the Marines at Gitmo, who knows what the hell goes on there?

We'd better find out before the rest of the world does.

Damn thing could get messy.

What about this Commander Galloway?

She's been working a desk in Internal Affairs for a little over a year.

- Before that? - Disposed of three cases in two years.

Three in two years? Who's she handling, the Rosenbergs?

- She's not a litigator. - She's a hell of an investigator...

In Internal Affairs, sure. She can crawl up a lawyer's ass with the best.

But when it comes to trial work...

I know, I know, all passion, no street smarts. Bring her back in.

Jo.

- We'll have the defendants moved here. - Thank you, sir.

And I'll have Division assign them counsel.

But not me?

Well, from what I understand, you're much too valuable...

...to be wasted on a five-minute plea bargain and a week's paperwork.

- Sir, I think there might be more involved. - Don't worry about it.

I promise you. Division will assign the right man for the job.

All right, let's go, let's get two!

Sorry.

Nothing to be sorry about, Sherby. Look the ball into your glove.

Shooting two.

Sorry.

Trust me. Keep your eyes open, your chances of catching increase by 10.

- Kaffee. - Let's try it again.

- Kaffee! - Dave, you seem distraught.

We were supposed to meet 15 minutes ago.

You're stalling on the McDermott case.

We either get it done now, or I'll hang him from a fucking yardarm!

Yardarm? Sherby, does the Navy still hang people from yardarms?

I don't think so.

Dave, Sherby doesn't think we do that anymore.

I'll charge him with possession and being under the influence on duty.

You plead guilty, I'll recommend 30 days in the brig.

- It was 10 dollars' worth of oregano. - Your client thought it was marijuana.

My client's a moron. That's not against the law.

Kaffee, I got people to answer to, just like you. I'm gonna charge him.

With what? Possession of a condiment?

- Kaffee. - Dave, I tried to help you out...

...but if you ask for jail time, I'll file a motion to dismiss.

- You won't get it. - I will get it.

If not, I'll file a motion seeking to obtain an evidentiary ruling in advance...

...then I'll file against pre-trial confinement.

You'll get three months' paperwork...

...because a signalman bought and smoked a dime bag of oregano.

Let's go! Let's get two!

- B misdemeanor, 20 days in the brig. - C misdemeanor, 15 days' restricted duty.

- I don't know why I'm agreeing to this. - You have wisdom beyond your years.

- Good morning. - Good morning, captain.

How's the baby, Sam?

- Sir, she'll say her first word any day now. - How can you tell?

She just looks like she has something to say.

Excuse me, sorry I'm late.

I know you don't have a good excuse, so I won't force you to tell a bad one.

- Thank you, sir. - This first one's for you.

It seems you're moving up in the world. You've been requested by Division.

- Requested to do what? - Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

A Marine Corporal named Dawson illegally fires a round...

...from his weapon, over the fence line and into Cuba.

- What's a fence line? - Sam.

A big wall separating the good guys from the bad guys.

Teacher's pet.

PFC William Santiago threatens to rat on Dawson...

...to the Naval Investigative Service.

Dawson and another member of his squad, PFC Louden Downey...

...go into Santiago's room, tie him up...

...stuff a rag down his throat...

...and an hour later, Santiago's dead.

Attending physician says the rag was treated with some kind of toxin.

- They poisoned the rag? - Not according to them.

- What do they say? - Not much.

They're being flown up tomorrow. On Wednesday at 0600...

...you'll catch a transport down to Cuba to find out what you can.

Meantime, go and see Lt. Commander JoAnne Galloway...

...with Internal Affairs.

- Any questions? - The flight to Cuba...

...was that 0600 in the morning, sir?

It's important this one go by the book, so I'm assigning co-counsel.

Any volunteers?

- No. - Sam...

- Sir, I got a stack of papers... - Work with Kaffee on this.

Doing what? He'll have this done in about four days.

Doing various administrative things. Backup. Whatever.

In other words, I have no responsibilities?

Right.

My kind of case.

Right. Right. Okay, but I've gotta have that report by Wednesday.

- Hi. - Hold on. Hi.

Daniel Kaffee. I was told to meet with...

...Lieutenant Commander Galloway.

- About a briefing. - I'll call you back.

You're the attorney Division assigned?

I'm lead counsel, this is Sam Weinberg.

- I have no responsibilities whatsoever. - Come in. Please, have a seat.

Lieutenant, how long have you been in the Navy?

Going on nine months now.

And how long have you been out of law school?

Little over a year.

- I see. - Have I done something wrong?

No. But when I asked for counsel, I was hoping to be taken seriously.

No offense taken, in case you were wondering.

Lieutenant Kaffee is considered the best litigator in our office.

He successfully plea-bargained 44 cases in nine months.

- One more, I get a set of steak knives. - Have you ever been in a courtroom?

- I had my driver's license suspended. - Danny.

If this thing goes to court, they won't need a lawyer, they'll need a priest.

No, they'll need a lawyer.

Dawson's family's been contacted.

Downey's closest relative is Ginny Miller, his aunt on his mother's side.

She hasn't been contacted yet, would you like me to do that?

Sure, if you feel like it.

One of the people you'll be seeing is the barracks CO, Colonel Jessep.

I assume you've heard of him.

Who hasn't?

He's been in the papers lately.

He's expected to be director of operations...

...of the National Security Council.

- Really? - Here are Santiago's letters from Gitmo.

- That's Guantánamo Bay. - I knew that one.

He wrote the fleet commander, HQ Atlantic...

...the Marine commandant, even his senator.

He wanted to be transferred. No one was listening. Are you with me?

Yeah.

Finally he wrote the Naval Investigative Service...

...where he offered to trade information about Dawson's shooting for a transfer.

Right. Is that all?

This letter makes it look like your client had a motive to kill Santiago.

- Got you. And Santiago is who? - The victim.

Write that down.

These letters don't paint a flattering picture of Marine Corps life at Gitmo?

- Yes, among... - And am I right...

...that a protracted investigation might embarrass the Security Council guy?

- Colonel Jessep... - Twelve years.

I'm sorry?

I'll get them to drop the conspiracy and conduct unbecoming. Twelve years.

You haven't talked to a witness or looked at a piece of paper.

Pretty impressive, huh?

You'll have to go deeper than that.

Do you have some jurisdiction here I should know about?

My job is to make sure that you do your job.

I'm special counsel for Internal Affairs. So my jurisdiction's in your face.

Read the letters. I'll expect a report when you return from Cuba.

- Sure. - You're dismissed.

I always forget that part.

He's a little preoccupied.

Team's playing Bethesda Medical next week.

Tell your friend not to get cute. Guantanamo Marines are fanatical.

- About what? - About being Marines.

Dear sir, my name is PFC William T. Santiago.

I'm a Marine stationed at Marine barracks...

...Rifle Security Company Windward, 2nd Platoon Bravo.

I am writing to inform you of my problems here in Cuba...

...and to ask for your help.

I've fallen out of runs before...

...for several reasons, such as feeling dizzy or nauseated.

But on May 18th, I'd fallen back about 20 or 30 yards...

going down a rocky, unstable hill.

My sergeant grabbed me and pushed me down the hill...

...then I saw all black and the last thing I remember is hitting the deck.

I was brought to the hospital. They said it was heat exhaustion.

I ask you to help me. Please, sir, I need a transfer out of RSC.

Sincerely, PFC William T. Santiago, U.S. Marine Corps.